His Girl
by braille upon my skin
Summary: "Sometimes, Chad sees her in the aftermath of one of their fights- the corners of her mouth downturned, her eyes clouded with misery and frustration at Troy's failures, and dangerous thoughts fill his head. Thoughts like, Troy doesn't know what the hell he's doing. And, He doesn't know how to be in a relationship. And, most dangerous of all: Troy isn't good enough for her."


**A/N:** I originally wrote this story and posted it to my Tumblr blog in 2014. I decided to polish it up, a bit, and officially publish it to sit alongside my other works.

 **I'm** _ **so**_ **sorry for this.** Someone should toss me into a dumpster where I belong.

* * *

 ** _His Girl_**

 **.**

She's his _best friend's girlfriend_. Troy is like a brother to him, and he _knows_ how dedicated Troy is to her.

Still, there's something about Gabriella Montez's smile, that sparkle in her brown eyes, the way her dark curls fall over her shoulders, her plunging necklines, her barely knee-length skirts, the rosy tint to her full olive cheeks. How she says his name with that soft, girlish murmur of affection, how her fingertips seem to linger on his skin when they hang out together… It's almost _bewitching._ Chad recalls dubbing her an "IQ Temptress", once, and the title seems almost scarily accurate.

Gabriella and Troy have a picture-perfect relationship in the public eye. But, any insider would know that that one ripple in the pond is all it takes to shatter that picture-perfect surface.

Sometimes, Chad sees her in the aftermath of one of their fights- the corners of her mouth downturned, her eyes clouded with misery and frustration at Troy's failures, and dangerous thoughts fill his head. Thoughts like, _Troy doesn't know what the hell he's doing_. And, _He doesn't know how to be in a relationship_. And, most dangerous of all: _Troy isn't_ good enough _for her._

The not exactly tacked on, "Not like me", is always present. _Chad_ knows what he's doing. _He_ has experience with girls. Sure. He might not be the soft-hearted, sensitive romantic that Troy is, but he also _isn't_ an awkward virgin who fumbled his way to first base over the course of six months. Gabriella may have Troy wrapped tightly around her little finger, but Troy seems to disappoint her more often than not.

Troy just never seems to know what to do with a girl of Gabriella's caliber.

Not like _Chad_ would.

But, despite, or maybe _in spite of_ the disparities between them, and Troy's repeated blunders causing Gabriella to kick him to the curb until he manages to get back in her good graces, they're _still_ East High's Primo Couple.

 _Troy_ is the one who has the fortune of knowing what it feels like to have Gabriella's glossy pink lips pressed to his, and to have her dainty form in his arms.

And, sometimes, a vague feeling of envy clenches Chad's stomach. _Troy_ gets _all_ the attention. _Troy_ is the object of everyone's adoration. _Troy_ gets a girl like _that_ for his girlfriend.

What about _him_ , huh? Isn't _he_ good enough? Doesn't _he_ deserve some credit for the basketball team's victories? _He_ _**always**_ has the team in mind, after all, and would _**never**_ put some girl, or the opportunity to play with college basketball players, before his friends.

 _He_ stood by Gabriella, even when _Troy_ was blowing her off.

But… he pushes those treacherous feelings aside, because he has a girlfriend of his own. Taylor McKessie; a feisty beauty with a fierce brain to match. They trade witty barbs with each other, and even though she occasionally condescends to him and keeps him on a leash, at times- a particularly _short_ leash- knowing that Taylor, the Chemistry Club President and the president of their senior class, wants to be with _him,_ is enough to placate him.

It's enough to keep _Gabriella_ off his mind.

As long as Chad is dating _Gabriella's_ best friend, and as long as Gabriella is dating _his_ , she's forbidden territory to him. She might as well have a "Do Not Touch", sign flashing in bright neon letters over her head at all times.

Yet, even though it's a violation of any sort of "Bro Code", even though it's a risk that could cost Chad two relationships he values, even though a part of him hates how Gabriella is creating a rift between him and the boy he's considered a brother since preschool, he secretly relishes the rare moments when he and Gabriella are alone together. When he gets to touch her, breathe in her perfume, be on the receiving end of her entrancing smile.

She's a goddamn "IQ Temptress Girl", alright, and she's cast a spell on him. 

* * *

When Gabriella moves to California to accept her enrollment in the Freshman Honors Program at Stanford University, Troy, who stupidly gave her his blessing to do it, immediately sinks into some form of a catatonic stupor. Chad calls it a stupid decision on Troy's part, even though he knows he would have furiously confronted Troy had Troy been selfish enough to hold Gabriella back.

As Troy's best friend, Chad should probably be rushing to his side to administer a pep talk or morale boosting, like best friends are supposed to do. But, it looks like Evans and Kelsi have it handled. Those two greet Troy with nothing but open arms, smiling faces, and gentle words of encouragement and reassurance. They practically coddle him, _especially Evans_ , who Troy seems _far_ too comfortable with for a guy in a relationship with a college girl.

Rumors started spreading among the basketball team that there was something going on with their captain and the drama geek. Jokes about Troy championing the idea of Evans being their team mascot because Evans sucked his dick, or Troy pounding Evans's ass or getting _his_ ass pounded by Evans in the auditorium's dressing rooms, were frequently made behind Troy's back.

Chad would chuckle along with the guys before telling them to "knock it off", and dismissing any accusations that Troy would actually cheat on Gabriella with _Evans_ , of all people.

Now, watching Troy and Evans together, seeing them give each other light, playful nudges, flash each other fond smiles, and exchange meaningful looks, Chad thinks those jokes just might have more of a basis in reality than he first believed.

Than he _wanted_ to believe.

When Troy leans into Evans during the last rehearsal before prom, their faces _too_ close, and Evans reaches for Troy even as his sister pushes her way between them, Chad is reeling.

It almost sort of _incenses_ him that Troy would even _consider_ it.

He already has _Gabriella_. What about _her_? Does Troy ever think about how lonely _she_ must be, adjusting to a completely new school without any of her friends to support her? How could he- he's never even mentioned that he's _confused_.

And, that almost incenses Chad, too.

He's Troy's _best friend_ , and Troy won't even talk to him when it matters.

More than that, Chad has his _own_ problems, too. Like his _own_ relationship evaporating before his eyes, due to _his_ girlfriend getting accepted into Yale University all the way in Connecticut.

Like Taylor pestering him to talk to Troy, because Troy is hopelessly screwing up the choreography for the school musical and Taylor is a hardcore perfectionist who needs everything to run smoothly or she'll turn into a complete spaz on him.

Chaddidn't even want to be a part of this mess. Musical theater is for pansies and over the top drama queens, like Evans and the Ice Princess, herself. _Troy_ might find something to enjoy in prancing around a stage, singing sappy show tunes about love, but there's nothing there for _Chad_.

As a matter of fact, there's no _one_ there for him.

Troy _clearly_ has prior occupations, Jason is holed up in the school library, studying like his life depends on it to ensure that he manages to graduate with everyone else, and Zeke is fawning over Sharpay, blissfully unaware that his fling with the Ice Princess has a looming expiration date.

He's a senior. This was supposed to be _his_ year. The damn school musical is even about him. (And, everyone else, but the point still stands.)

Chad wonders, once again, how he got from the top of the world to the bottom of the heap. 

* * *

Troy gets his hopes up that Gabriella will be coming down from California to go the prom with him. That was, apparently, their "plan".

Chad almost finds himself hoping that Gabriella will stick to that plan. Not because he's secretly wishing that something will happen between him and her. And, definitely _not_ because Gabriella's presence would be a relief from worrying about what will happen when Taylor unhooks the leash.

A relief for _everyone_.

Taylor's nagging persuades Chad to assume the role of supportive friend and accompany Troy when he picks up the tux Gabriella picked out for him. Chad silently dubs this a wise decision on Troy's part. Troy was never quite able to dress himself competently before Gabriella.

After they show off the suit to Troy's mom, Chad helps himself to a Sprite, his reward for being a good friend, and Troy receives a call that lights his face up.

He doesn't even have to say who it is.

The call goes south, however, Troy's mood dropping as he chokes out, "No, don't even say that." He retreats to his room and Chad trades a look with Mrs. Bolton, neither of them knowing what to say.

Chad just catches the tail end of the conversation, stands in the doorway to see Troy closing his phone in utter defeat, throwing it, and slumping practically lifeless onto his bed.

The "plan" is out the window. Gabriella is not only _not_ coming down for the prom, she's not coming back _at all._

The most Chad can manage with his own heart sinking and stomach twisting into a dismayed knot is, "That's lousy, man." Which he knows is lame, even for him and his notorious emotional constipation.

When he informs Troy that, "You can't take the girl with you after high school", and, "Gabriella is already one step ahead. As usual", it's mostly because of how utterly despondent Troy looks, how listless and empty his eyes are. It's unsettling to see Troy this destroyed over _anything_ , let alone a girl. It was never supposed to be like this.

And, maybe… he says these things because Troy is in too deep for his own good.

He reminds Troy that they'll be going to the University of Albuquerque together, where they can be the dream team of star athletes they've always been, and put Taylor and Gabriella behind them, because a large part of him just wants things to go back to the way they were before girls and musicals came between them.

A smaller, but still loud and influential, part of him doesn't want to see Troy and Gabriella get back together, _again_.

He isn't sure, though, if _that_ is because he's concerned for Troy, or _jealous_ of him. 

* * *

After skipping out on the prom entirely, leaving everyone confused, then slowly- and in some cases, reluctantly- accepting as the realization of where he went sinks in, Troy brings Gabriella back to East High to perform their big duet in the school musical.

Chad, deciding not to question it, not wanting to, seizes the opening provided to him. He sneaks up on Gabriella and wraps his arms around her.

She turns back to look at him, laughing and beaming and practically glowing with happiness.

It shouldn't feel anywhere near as _good_ as it does to have her in his arms, her small form pressed against his body, his arm across her chest, resting against the curve of her breasts for those few, all too brief seconds. To peer into her chocolate brown eyes and see that she's every bit as happy _here, like this,_ as he is.

It's not forever. She's not _his_. But, at least he'll have _this_.

For the rest of the show, Chad can't stop smiling, can't stop feeling like he's finally accomplished a long term goal he wasn't even aware he had.

Until Troy drops the bombshell that he's following Gabriella to college.

Chad takes in Gabriella's face, the tears shining in her eyes, all because of _Troy_ , and before he knows it, he's sprinting out of the auditorium as quickly as he can.

He stops in the empty hallway outside the gym- the only place that truly feels like _his_ in the entire school- and punches the wall hard enough to leave bruises on his knuckles. 

* * *

Come fall, Chad is left behind as all of _his_ friends scatter across the country. Even Sharpay, who was supposed to attend U of A and help Ms. Darbus manage the drama geeks at East High, chooses not to grace the halls of the university with her presence.

Logging onto Facebook presents- assaults, more like it- him with pictures of his friends, his ex, Gabriella, _thriving_ in their new environments. Though they've all been obviously active online, his inbox is a ghost town.

The now all-too-familiar twinges of envy seize Chad's stomach and he sets his jaw, gritting his teeth hard enough to bite through bone. 

* * *

To his surprise, Chad bumps into _her_ at a neighborhood park during the Thanksgiving weekend.

She's standing on her tip-toes, fingertips just touching a set of monkey bars that she's too tiny to reach. He can see from a distance that her hair has grown out. Her distinctive dark waves are visible against her sweater, and her cheeks are pink from the slight chill in the air.

At first, he can't quite believe that she's _here_. That she would come back to this backwater town that she's always been too good for. But, heartbeat picking up, he knows better than to believe he's hallucinating or caught up in some kind of daydream.

"Hey, Gab," he greets her. As he crosses to her, the frost-coated grass crunching beneath his feet, he has so many questions he wants to ask, so many things that need to be addressed. Like, " _Just what the hell happened in California?" "Why is Troy bunking with_ Ryan Evans _?"_ , " _I heard you and Troy called it quits. For_ good _, this time",_ and _"So… you seeing anyone?"_

"Hey," she replies, smiling sweetly.

"You visiting for the holidays?" He asks warmly.

"Yeah."

"I don't think anybody else's come back, yet," he informs her. Just in case she was hoping for someone else's company. "Looks like it's just you and me."

"That's all right." Gabriella removes her hands from the bar and fixes her gaze intently on him. "I heard about you and Taylor."

"Oh. Yeah." He scrapes his foot along the pavement perimeter of the grassy patch the monkey bars are located on, and smoothly brushes the reminder of his failed relationship away.

"The distance was too much to handle?" Gabriella asks.

"It's no big deal," Chad replies with a shrug. He's both surprised and not surprised at all that he means it. "It's like I said, 'You can't take the girl with you after high school.'"

Gabriella's brow gives a curious twitch, the corners of her mouth quirking into a smile that makes his stomach feel heavy. "Is that right?" She lets out a breath that comes out in a visible puff in front of her, and steps into him.

With every step she takes into his personal space, his heart beats faster.

"I always believed there are certain parts of high school you should _always_ hold on to," she says seriously. When she's only a few inches away from him, she stops and adds slowly, intentionally, her eyes never leaving his, "Events. Experiences…. _People_."

The last word hangs in the air, strangely potent.

Chad searches her eyes for any indication he's misinterpreting her. That she might not mean what he thinks she means.

Though he knows he shouldn't, he lets himself ask, " _I'm_ one of those people, right?" 

* * *

They're in Chad's empty home about ten minutes later. His mom is at work, and his dad is out with a couple of his work buddies, so it really _is_ just the two of them.

She giggles as Chad tells the story of a kid at U of A getting so wasted at a freshman party, people were able to draw all over his face with various colored Sharpies and spray-dye half of his hair pink before he regained consciousness. He shows Gabriella the pictures on Facebook via his X-Box's internet connection, and her girlishly innocent giggles transform into surprisingly hard laughter.

Taylor would have _scolded_ Chad for finding humor in someone else's misfortune.

Troy wouldn't have laughed, either. Chad knows that he would have given an uncomfortable chuckle before reprimanding, "Alright, come on, man. That's not cool".

Again, a voice at the back of Chad's head reminds him that Troy and Gabriella aren't right for each other.

That they _weren't_ right for each other.

"I've never been to a party at Stanford," Gabriella remarks.

"Really?" He's not exactly surprised by the news, considering her chaste, good girl image.

"Yeah. I guess part of me would like to go. They sound like they're a ton of fun," Gabriella says wistfully. "But, I always wind up staying in and reading a book, or studying."

"You're missing out." Chad prods her playfully. "Going to parties is a _vital_ part of the college experience."

"Really now?" She asks, wearing that entrancing smile of hers.

"Keeping your nose stuck in a book and memorizing science-y terms and chemical formulas isn't going to give you a healthy social life," he answers sagely.

"Well, maybe I could slip out, one night, and go to a party at U of A with you," she says, teasingly.

He senses a challenge in her words and he meets it head on, like he meets every challenge. "Is that a _date_ we're talking about?" He smiles, half-joking, though he knows he isn't opposed to being taken seriously.

Even though the weird feeling in his stomach tells him he probably should be.

This time, it's _his_ words hanging in the air, making it tense, heavy.

Gabriella peers at him from beneath her eyelashes. Her brown eyes are alluring, and her sweet, fruity scent and shiny pink lips have never held his attention this raptly before. "Mm," she hums. "You tell me, _Wildcat_."

A tiny, rarely acknowledged voice that might be Chad's conscience whispers: _"Get out now."_ It's so hushed, so quiet, it's almost non-existent.

And, that "almost", is good enough for him. 

* * *

She sticks around for dinner, that night. His parents seem to be every bit as enthralled with her as he is. They _do_ recollect Gabriella being _Troy's_ girlfriend, but Chad and Gabriella rush to assure them that was in the past.

Chad catches Gabriella's eye, sees a humorous sparkle in the depths of her gaze, and wonders how in the hell Troy managed to convince himself that he and Gabriella would last when they're so clearly _wrong_ for each other. Gabriella operates on a completely different stratum.

A stratum that Chad might just have the pleasure of sharing with her, if the way she smiles at him is anything to go by. 

* * *

The next day, after going for a drive around town in Gabriella's mom's minivan- Chad is moderately surprised that Maria Montez remembers him from the party after the staff softball game last summer. "You're _Chad_ , right? The boy with the crazy hair? It's nice to see you, again."- they wind up in Chad's bedroom.

Gabriella shivers noticeably, announcing, "Brrr, it's _chilly_ out there, huh?"

Chad takes action. He moves in and wraps his arms around her. She relaxes into his touch, and he tries to ignore how that simple response affects him. "Imagine how much colder it is up north."

"I have an idea," Gabriella says with a knowing giggle. "Seeing as I've basically been all over this country."

"Oh, yeah. That's right." Chad murmurs, as if he knew all along. He recalls Troy telling him that Gabriella's mom used to uproot and relocate her with little warning, due to transfers through her job. He's immensely glad to know that will never happen again.

"It feels great to be back here, though. Back _home_ ," Gabriella adds, peering meaningfully into his eyes.

Those eyes are about as entrancing as her smile.

"It's good to have you back," Chad says.

Gabriella breaks into a smile, and the next thing Chad knows, they're kissing, more passionately than the day before. His hands clutch at her hair, then her waist, then the contours of her butt, then her breasts. A feeling of triumph, like the one he feels when he wins a game, races through his veins. The first layer of clothing is shed and tossed aside, and that persistent voice in Chad's head declares proudly, _Troy has never had her_ like this _._

Gabriella whispers in his ear, "I used to dream about you, Chad," her voice and the words, themselves, so sensual, they send an electric current shooting through him.

 _No_ , Chad amends, pausing very briefly to let the weight of what Gabriella just said sink in before the triumphant feeling intensifies, **Troy** _will_ _ **never**_ **have this** _._


End file.
